Hebrew'ness

For those who may still be following this blog... perhaps I'll write more when I'm not writing so much for school, which will be done in June/July!

I spent the summer learning Hebrew, and am now in "intermediate" Hebrew.

"Intermediate" may lead you, as it did me, to the conclusion that I would be attaining some sort of proficiency in the language. Sorry to disappoint, but I just spent 45 minutes "translating" Exodus 34:11-13. I must place "translating" in quotations because I purchased BibleWorks and rely heavily upon it. Hopefully Hebrew won't disappear as quickly from my brain as Greek did.

I'm also doing a class on Proverbs/Job/Ecclesiastes. The most interesting thing I've read lately consequently has been Eccl. 3:9-14. The burden of being pulled into the beauty of present and also carrying eternity in our hearts - being a limited and yet unlimited people - can be quite paralyzing, confusing, disheartening. I want to know the meaning of existence, and yet I can often do no better than enjoy a sunset and a cup of coffee; so beautiful in itself, and yet barely scratches the surface.

Consider that the teacher then comes to 3:12-14 where he finally for the first time says, "I know." All his questions, and now he says, "I know" something. What does he know? Give us some answers already! The focus shifts decisively towards God, the one who authors all of this.

Is he good? Can he be trusted? Can we find some sort of rest, caught between limited'ness and unlimited'ness given that this good and trustworthy God has made us this way "so that men will revere him?"

Hmmmm...